Jason Kulpa on Celebrating Employees During the Holidays

During the holidays, celebrating employees is a great way to foster both teamwork and inclusion. For employers who are having trouble finding ways to make the season bright, below are five proven strategies to make employees feel valued during the holidays:

Everyone Likes a Party
Whether held at the office or at a fancy venue, company holiday parties are a hit with just about everyone. Parties can be themed, formal, casual or anything in between. The important part is that employees have a chance to relax and celebrate the holidays with one another in a comfortable atmosphere.

Personalized Gifts Make a Splash
Many employers also celebrate employees during the holidays by giving personalized gifts. These gifts don’t have to be extravagant, but they can be customized to match something unique about each employee. When giving gifts, employers should consider that all employees receive something equal to avoid anyone feeling left out.

Give Some (Paid) Time Off
Giving additional paid time off is also a great way to show an employee that he or she is valued. Some employers choose to keep this additional time off a surprise until the last minute, but this can cause problems for employees who have set schedules, so it’s usually best to provide advance notice.

Make It Competitive

Contests and competitions are also great choices to celebrate employees during the holidays. One way to do this and improve team building at the same time is to divide employees into groups and assign each group a task. Whichever team completes the task first wins a prize like free lunch or better parking spots. When doing this, employers should try to make it so that each team wins something at least once in order for everyone to have a good time.

Get Each Employee Involved

Finally, employers need to consider everyone’s tastes, cultures, backgrounds and strengths when planning a holiday celebration. It would be a good idea to have input from all employees and maybe even create different teams that are responsible for different aspects of a celebration. Once again, the goal of celebrating employees during the holidays is to show respect and appreciation for hard work, so everyone should be recognized in their own way.

While the holidays are often hectic, going the extra mile to create a workplace celebration can brighten even the most stressful of days. No matter how an employer chooses to celebrate employees during the holidays, it’s certain that his or her efforts will be met with gratitude and produce a happier workforce.

About the Author

Jason Kulpa is a San Diego, California-based entrepreneur, marketing expert, and philanthropist. He is also the founder of UE.co, a leading marketing and sales platform originally launched in 2008. Jason's years of experience have shaped him into a respected leader and innovator -- both in his field of expertise and in his community. He was named "Most Admired CEO" by the San Diego Business Journal in 2014.

To learn more about Jason Kulpa, click here.